LED H4's

[Chunksta]

Guys,

has anyone tried LED H4's?

Do they offer any improvement in light projection?

Are they legal?

[California Dreamin]

Guys,


Do they offer any improvement in light projection?

Are they legal?

Unlike other types of bulbs H4's absolutely have to have their illuminating filaments precisely positioned within the lamp so the reflector can project the light forwards in a particular way that the lens can shape the light into a 'legal' pattern.

A LED H4 with its multiple stacked LED's on a Column simply is not able to give the 'point' of light source required to accurately project and shape the light.

Martin

[ELVIS]

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=521070" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Got a set that cost me £80 and debating whether to fit the. Or send the. Back

[danmetallic]

Don't do it. Firstly you won't be legal. Secondly you'll dazzle everyone. Thirdly, do the headlight relay upgrade, if you haven't already, paired with Osram Nightbreakers.

[Oldiebut goodie]

Looking at the pics in the linked thread.. they seem to have got round Martin's objection re positioning of the single point source so the dazzle should be no different to a normal bulb. The only objection really is the legality and until the regs catch up with the rapid progress on leds we are stuck.
Personally Nightbreakers and new headlights was sufficient for me without doing the relay upgrade. The difference was amazing.

[California Dreamin]

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=521070

Got a set that cost me £80 and debating whether to fit the. Or send the. Back

Not sure what to say...the link shows lamps with a right kick not left as in this country, the patterns are pretty poor even with the standard Ultra Star H4's so is this an American poster? different lighting regs? any way, either way the LED's do not give a defined pattern (look at the lollipop sign in that last set of pictures and it is clearly illuminated! when it shouldn't be at all!) its 8 - 9ft high and the dip beam simply should not be going that high.

Relays and Nighbreakers all the way.

Incidentally....my van 'very stupidly' failed it's MOT on Tuesday for a non working offside dip beam (well it did & it didn't..I will explain) I always carry out a 2 minute check on the 'OBVIOUS' but doh! forgot this time.
Many of you will know that I was one of the early Nighbreaker/relay adopter's and so maybe a bit of bad luck but one of the dip beams ellements has blown...no biggie and a very understanding MOT tester stuck a ticket on it anyway knowing that it wouldn't be driven until it was replaced..very nice man.
Two new Osram Nightbreaker 'UNLIMITED's' ordered (£6.00 each click & Collect at Argos) and fitted this morning and so this gave me the opportunity to take some voltage readings and post them up for comparison.

Starter battery voltage across the terminals (No Engine)......12.7 volts.
Across terminals engine running no load.........................14.51 volts
Across terminals engine running FULL BEAM ON 20 amp load.14.41 volts
Now: directly at the H4 bulb still with all 4 lights on..........13.52 volts

0.9 volt drop hmm interesting...but the 13.52 volts at the bulbs is pretty good under load.
Still in terms of improvement over standard set up....the best £25 I've ever spent because the difference is astounding!

Martin

[ELVIS]

Fitted Unlimiteds last night (only as I was rooting about looking at space for the LEDs and found I had a melted earth terminal on multiplug and the wire snapped from the terminal really easily.) 80/100 w bulbs that PO had fitted probably didn't help

Unlimiteds? Not massively impressed comparing them against standard nightbreakers on my doka tbh. Have to drive through 'Devon bank' lanes to get home and no noticeable increase in distance increase there.

Only difference to the naked eye/man in hot seat (as opposed to tech nerds making them or marketing men selling them) was that they are a whiter light.

Side by side in the yard , illuminated distance was approximately the same, brightness/lumens were about the same, just the 'white' light had increased. I presume they have technical equipment to qualify their claims but to my eyes , I must be missing something!!

See how many hours I get out of them before I pass judgement.

On a positive note, fixing the multiplug on the back of the bulb fixed my dash problems/random earthing problem

[CovKid]

Lifespan on vehicles seems to be a common problem with LEDs, even cree versions. Granted they have gradually got better but I seemed to be replacing even indicator bulbs faster than filaments, and at several times the cost. I suspect whilst they're tolerant of voltages over 12v, it impacts on their longevity. I gave up on them in the end (except for interior) but hopefully quality and legislation will catch up and prices will fall further. For now, LED technology still has a long way to go I think, particularly with respect to light spread.

[ELVIS]

Same on 'uprated/upgraded' halogen bulbs, although one doesn't begrudge paying for a safety item, getting less than a winter from a set of bulbs is a ball ache. Especially when they always fail at the most Inopportune moment

[California Dreamin]

Well I haven't used the new 'unlimited's' on the road yet but if they are 'as good' as the 'plus' versions I'll be happy. I know the Plus versions were supposed to be +90% and these unlimited versions say +110% whatever!!! both are much better than standard.
I managed to find them on the bay of thieves for £6.00 a pop which isn't bad.

Martin

[ELVIS]

Would say as good as Martin after driving home last night.

Technically/on paper they might be better than the 'plus' using some techno light spectrum/intensity gauge etc, to my 42yr old half decent eyes, they just looked whiter.

Let me know what you thought/think of them , just of of interest/noseyness